Les Catalans are succeeding beyond original plans

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Les Catalans crowds are up about 750% since entering Super League.

When they were the UTC and the top team in the French Elite competition they were averaging 1,000 per match if I am not mistaken (though I could be off about 200). Now since they joined Super League they are averaging around 7,800 which is an increase unparalleled in the history of rugby league. Not even a quarter of that can be attributed to foreign visitors. Take the St Helens game. Common guess is that 2,000 St Helens fans were in attendance in a crowd of 8,259. That leaves at least 6,000 French fans. Some of these French fans came from outside the Catalans region. But only a small minority.

One big factor in the attendance increase has been the Perpignan rugby union team (USAP) fans coming to watch --- despite the wishes of the boss of USAP. And they like what they see, which is why they come back, even though the team has only won two games at home (Wigan and Castleford) and one away (Warrington), and superstar Stacey Jones has not played since 10 minutes into round 2 (away). When the weather warms up, and Stacey returns, assuming some consistent Catalans home victories, the crowds will probably increase. I expect a home average this year of over 8,000 which is about double the anticipated pre season guess, and ensures the club a huge profit through the gates.

The attendance is surely being helped by the television coverage of Sports Plus, which also attracts young guys to play the game. More of these players, and perhaps then even their parents, will eventually start to come to watch the matches live.

The local government owned stadium, Aime Giral, which is the home ground for the USAP rugby union club, has been a perfect venue for the Catalans home games so far. However the planned Catalans rugby league stadium Gilbert Brutus, now undergoing massive renovation, is surely woefully inadequate for these crowds. The planned seating is in the vicinity of 6,200. Yet only one home game this year has been under 6,200 spectators. There needs to be a total reconsideration of this ground, and enhancements must be made. Otherwise the club will lose thousands of supporters and forego hundreds of thousands of euros each year.

 

[Weasels Ripped My Flesh]

Hoorah for Les Cats!

 

[bartman]

Great news about the home support and coverage Albert. And it can only get better the more established the side becomes.

Sounds worrying if future stadium plans are under catering for the current demand. Any chance that the local government might continue the Aime Giral arrangements? Are the crowds for the union club much the same or bigger or smaller...

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

I think it's great they are exceding expectations. Makes bringing a new team to an existing comp worth the effort.

 

[hutch]

what will the officical capacity be for their new stadium, is that 6200 total or 6200 seated?

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Great news about the home support and coverage Albert. And it can only get better the more established the side becomes.

Sounds worrying if future stadium plans are under catering for the current demand. Any chance that the local government might continue the Aime Giral arrangements? Are the crowds for the union club much the same or bigger or smaller...

Union crowds are bigger. I am not sure of the average. I will try to find out.

I will also ask the Catalans management if they can get Aime Giral next year, or if they can modify the renovations to the Gilbert Brutus stadium, when I see them on Saturday.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

what will the officical capacity be for their new stadium, is that 6200 total or 6200 seated?

It is 6200 seated.

But the rugby union fans are used to being seated comfortably, with a good view of the game, at Aime Giral. I don't know if they would like to stand for two hours with a poor view. Standing room is for overflow, not your core support. I think that less than 10,000 seats in Gilbert Brutus is a huge blunder.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

Whats the capacity at Aime Giral ? I heard they are rebuilding Aime Giral into a 20,000 capacity stadium or USAP are moving to a bigger stadium . I could be wrong .

 

[yankeerugger]

Would think that as the french RU season ends in mid/late June (if I rember right), that the Dragons would see some currious RU fans come out to watch some RL in the void during the summer months....

good oportunity to showcase the side.... would think some would keep coming back.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

I have just returned home from a week in French Catalonia, specifically mostly in Perpignan and a few hours after the match at the nearby seaside resort at Canet.

The rugby league game is clearly a huge success in Perpignan. Apart from the points about higher than anticipated crowds, which I made in my original posting, I want to alert readers here to the media attention the game is getting. I did not follow French television news (I probably should have) but the local newsaper has been giving fantastic coverage.

I was there for the Les Catalans vs St Helens (Monday 17th) and Les Catalans vs Hull (Saturday 22nd) games. On each match day the front page of the local newspaper, L'Independant had a photo of the rugby league and several stories inside. Then the day after the match a photo of the game was reported on the front page as well as in the sports section.

For example, on Monday 17th April under the main headline, which concerns a statement by the Pope on the first Easter of his Papacy, and brief summaries ("teasers") of stories inside concerning Iraq, France, Chad and Monaco, is the main picture on the page, which of Sean Rudder running with the ball, and a large caption: "The Dragons at the foot of their Everest at Aime-Giral." Inside, on the first sports page is a huge photo (two thirds of the page) of two Catalans players Beattie and Mounis, tackling a Harlequins player the previous Friday in London. The headline reads Dragons contre ouragon (i.e. Dragons against a hurricane.). Inside the sports section there follows two pages on rugby union, and 1 and 2/3 pages on rugby league.

The next day the match also gets massive coverage, with another page in the news section, p. 3, about the Saint Helens supporters in town. Perpignan: the procession of the "Saints." Then the first heading sentence reads:

The supporters of St Helens have flooded into Perpignan. Between the colours blood and gold or red and white, the city had the air of a festival yesterday for the Easter Monday. Evidence of the passion that Super League releases, a Saint Helens family talks of its Catalan holiday.

Then the story of the Winn family, Ian, his wife and two boys,. from St Helens, is told. Lots of photos of supporters around town. Then a side box story :

This is it, Super League. The photo of two dozen St Helens supporters assembled on a grassy streetside, is followed by a story that begins:

For an Easter Monday, Perpignan has never known such a crowd in the centre of town. From the packed cafe terraces, the streets paced up and down by tourists in red and white, the hotels full. In total, there are not less than 2,000 St. Helens supporters who have made the trip, and this in spite of the last championship match being played last Friday.

Later a cafe waiter, Germain,is quoted as saying:

One has never seen as many supporters in Perpignan. It is extraordinary this fervour among the Super League teams. One can only regret the relocating of matches to Carcasonne or Narbonne. For with the arrival of summer, they will be still more numerous.

First sports page has a large picture and is totally devoted to the match, with the headline The Catalans beaten but satisfied.

Throughout the rest of the week the paper has rugby league stories. Then on the Saturday, the day of the game against Hull, the front page has the news about the dispute between USAP (rugby union) and Les Catalans Dragons over use of the Aime Giral stadium, which has forced the rugby league club adminsitration to plan home match relocations outside Perpignan.

The front page headline in the local daily, L'Independant, Saturday 22nd April, read:

Aime-Giral at last more welcoming for the XIII.

USAP and Dragons make common ground.

Underneath the subheads were:

# "The repair of the the lawn at Aime-Giral is postponed to the year 2007"

# "The Catalans Dragons will no longer have to expatriate to the Aude region this summer."

# "In a shock, the works on the fourth grandstand are advanced by a year."

Inside, the story is on page 3, where the headline reads:

The mayor has decided: Giral will host the Dragons and will have its fourth grandstand

Two interesting points in the story:

"Concretely, there are four matches of the Dragons (27 May, 24th June, 19th August and 9th September), which will be played at Aime Giral..."

This means that Wakefield, Harlequins, St Helens (again) and Huddersfield will have their games at Aime Giral, while Hull (again ) on July 1st, and Salford (again) on July 22nd will play at Narbonne.

Also, the following quote from the mayor of Perpignan, explains it all:

"Objectively, I am astonished by the capacity of the Super League to mobilise so many people. We have some lessons to take from the English organisers, who come here transporting thousands of supporters while offering them packages of several days perfectly tied up."

What seems to have happened is that although the head of USAP, Marcel Dagrenat, did not want rugby league at Aime Giral, the local Perpignan business community does not want six games moved elsewhere. Perpignan businesses are making a fortune from the Super League English visitors. So four of those six "to be relocated" matches will be held at Aime Giral this year.

Inside, the front page of the sports section is totally devoted to the Super League match with Hull, and the next inside page is devoted to the domestic French competition.

The following day (Sunday 23 April), a few hours after Les Catalans went down to Hull by 34-28, the main front page story is about the French Presidential elections, but the main photo, centre of the page is of the rugby league game on Saturday night, with the caption The Dragons deserved better.

The first sports page is totally devoted to the Super League match, with a photo and the headline"

Facing the Dragons, Hull intercepts the victory.


So there you have it.


Rugby league is a big part of Perpignan and the French Catalan region today. The rugby league has been well implanted there, thanks to hard work by a lot of French, English, and Australians. Much still needs to be done. The problem of the stadium next year still needs to be resolved. But the game of rugby league is on its way up in France.

 

[yankeerugger]

EXCELLENT report! Thanks for sharing your input. I'm glad to see the business community getting behind the catalans, thanks to the english fan's traveling well!

Sounds like a good buisness model is being implemented as we speak.

I'm sure that as the season wears on, and Stacy Jones returns, the will string together more W's and begin to build even more momentum. Sounds like the local french players are doing well... should be inspirational for the youth development going on in the region.

thanks once again.

 

[DrewBeliever]

Whats the capacity at Aime Giral ? I heard they are rebuilding Aime Giral into a 20,000 capacity stadium or USAP are moving to a bigger stadium . I could be wrong .

I only really saw two Stadiums whilst in Perpignan, and if they were to build the Aime Giral into a bigger Stadium, they'd really only have two of the stands which they could possibly make bigger, not enought space arounf the Stadium.

 

[DrewBeliever]

Also, brilliant report AlbertRosenfeld, whilst in Perpignan following the Bulls in earlie March, I was shocked by how much the City and it's people get behind there new team.

Unfortuntley I can't read French, but whilst in the little newagent shops scattered around the streets, I did see that the French newspapers host alot of the storys concerning the Dragons.
Also they were making the French sports magazine, which is big out there- having a report on Abel Felouse.

When ther ein the new Stadium, they'll deffintley reach sell out games for almost every fixture I would predict.

 

[Calixte]

Thanks for your usual high quality report, Albert.

It was always going to be imperative that the people of Perpignan (including the retailers who would profit from the Super League games in 2006 and beyond) stood up to the inevitable bullying from rugby union in France.

Not suprisingly both have transpired - the support from the people and the bullying from union.

Cue trolls.

(As examples of union bullying rugby league in France are so numerous on these pages - don't bother asking the question.)

 

[t-ba]

Awesome report Albert!

Shove THAT up your pipe and smoke it USAP!!

What capacity will the Aime Giral have now?

 

[legend]

How exciting to see the game back on its feet in France!

I can't wait for the day when we have four strong international sides and it doesn't look to be that far away.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Awesome report Albert!

Shove THAT up your pipe and smoke it USAP!!

What capacity will the Aime Giral have now?

I am not sure what capacity Aime Giral will have. I am not even sure what its current capacity is. My guess is around 13,000. The new stand may increase it by 3,000, but that is all guessing from just looking. But it is a superb all seater stadium. The elevation means that the bottom rows of the stadium are at least 12 feet, maybe 15 feet, off the ground. If you are at the bottom row you are close to the players but can see some of the pattern of the play. During some plays close to Catalans line I went down to the railing to get up close and personal. It was awesome to see the heavy tackling close up. But when the play opened up in mid field it was always better to sit up high, which I did, and see all the patterns of play.

Considering Les Catalans are in their first year, and without star play maker Stacey Jones until mid May, one has to be pleased with how the team is going. The match against Hull was extremely exciting, with the lead changing a couple of times, before Hull won 34-28. There were 11 tries, of which at least three from Catalans and two from Hull were scored from breaks within the attacking side's half, often counterattacks in broken field play. Hull's Nathan Blacklock did some great things, including his try in the corner after a kick through. The French crowd were amazed at the quality of the game. They recognise Super League is a huge standard above their domestic competition. Many now recognise, from watching these Super League games, that rugby league is much better than rugby union as a spectacle. You can see the reaction in many French newspaper accounts.

Of the French players Rinaldi and Fakir have been playing well all year. Rinaldi was rested against St Helens. But the new coach Mick Potter has brought back David Berthezene to his rightful position as hooker. He has been outstanding from dummy half in both games. Prop Adel Fellous has gone up a notch. His clash with St Helens prop Nick Fozzard was blood curdling. Adel was very courageous, as I told him personally after the game. Jerome Guisset always plays hard. Of the Aussies prop Chris Beattie (ex Cronulla) has been awesome. As one French journalist wrote, he fears nothing. Winger Justin Murphy (ex NZ Warriors) is lightning fast and centre Mark Hughes (ex Newcastle) is very good.

If Les Catalans can start winning more home games, and more away games when Stacey comes back, the crowds should increase. But the current hard core of 6,000 French supporters at each game (as well as substantial English visiting team support), is very pleasing --- and profitable for the club.

 

[MrCharisma]

Great news for Rugby League and the International scene. Things will only get better this year with more players getting added to their roster.

Hopefully we see some Union converts. Imagine Fredrick Miscalk joining the Dragons...

 

[ledzep]

Why is Rudder still playing 5/8th, and Rinaldi not playing in the halves?

 

[yankeerugger]

I believe the capasity is 19,000 with expansion to take it up to 22,000...

Sadly I believe that their newly renovated "Gilbert Brutus" stadium, which will be expanded to 7500 for next spring will be too small for this team with excellent growing potential.

Would be ideal if they were not able to share grounds with USAP (since it is after all a MUNICIPAL stadium), if they could at least make arangements to stage at least 5-6 matches there. Select the home matches vs the largest traveling clubs to take advantage of their support....

As things look, next year, Brutus will be filled to capasity for nearly every match with the home support alone. From the sound of the local media, I'd thing the business communtiy would put pressure on the government/USAP officials to NOT turn away thousands of tourists every weekend!!! When it comes down to it, money talks!